All About GRE®TEST

Why GRE®Test:
• The GRE®Test revised General Test is used by graduate & fellowship programs, and business
schools across the globe as part of the selection criteria to supplement undergraduate
records, recommendation letters and other qualifications for graduate study.
• The GRE®Test revised General Test for Masters and Doctoral Studies: Contrary to the
popular notion that GRE®Test is only for MS in US, GRE®Test scores are used for admissions
for all master-level and doctoral-level courses across all disciplines (Science, Engineering,
Arts, Humanities, etc.) and across the Globe.
• The GRE®Test revised General Test for MBA: Majority of the B-schools (more than 800 MBA
programs globally) including the top Business schools like Harvard, Wharton, Stanford,
INSEAD, MIT Sloan and Yale accept GRE®Test scores for their MBA admissions.
• Taking the GRE®Test Test keeps one's options open. By taking the most widely accepted
graduate admissions test for colleges and universities, a student multiplies the options
available to him/her post the undergraduate degree. GRE®Test scores are accepted for
admissions at thousands of university master's and doctoral degree programs worldwide,
including MBA programs.

Test Pattern for Computer-Based Test

SECTION NUMBER OF QUESTIONS TIME
Analytical Writing (One section with One "Analyze an Issue" task and one 30 minutes
two separately timed tasks) "Analyze an Argument" task per task
Verbal Reasoning (Two sections) Approximately 20 questionsper section 30 minutes
Sample Questions per section
Quantitative Reasoning(Two sections) Approximately 20 questions per section 35 minutes
Sample Questions per section
Unscored Varies Varies
Research Varies Varies

• There will be only one topic given for Issue and Argument topics.

• One Unscored Section (VR or QR section), may appear at any point after the AW section.
Questions in this unidentified section are being tested for possible use in future and will not
count toward the candidate's scores.

• An identified research section that is not scored may also be included and comes at the end of
the test.

• The AW section will always be first, while the other five sections may appear in any order. There
will be a 10-minute break following the third section, and a 1-minute break between the other
test sections. Scratch Pad will be provided.

• There will be provision of on-screen calculator for the Quantitative Reasoning section.

• The computer-based GRE®Test allows the candidate to freely move forward and backward
throughout an entire section to change or edit responses, even skip questions one can come
back to later.

o The test allows the candidate to edit or change answers, skip questions and more, all
within a section.
 o Preview and Review" capabilities exist within a section.

o "Mark and Review" feature to tag questions, so one can skip and return later.

The GRE®Test is a section-level adaptive test i.e. the level of difficulty of the second section
(Quantitative Reasoning or Verbal Reasoning) will depend on the candidate's overall performance on
the corresponding first section.
However, within each section, all questions contribute equally to the final score.

Is GRE®Test a Computer Adaptive Test?

Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning Scoring Measures

One's scores on the Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning measures depend on his/her
performance on the questions given and on the number of questions answered in the time allotted.

The Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning measures are section-level adaptive. This means
the computer selects the second section of a measure based on one's performance on the first.
Within each section, all questions contribute equally to the final score. For each of the two
measures, a raw score is computed. The raw score is the number of questions you answered
correctly.

The raw score is converted to a scaled score through a process known as equating. The equating
process accounts for minor variations in difficulty among the different test editions as well as
differences in difficulty among individuals’ tests introduced by the section-level adaptation. Thus a
given scaled score reflects the same level of performance regardless of which section was selected
and when the test was taken.

Revised GRE®Test Scoring Pattern

A total of three scores are reported on the ®Test:
• Verbal Reasoning score is reported on a 130–170 score scale, in 1-point increments

• Quantitative Reasoning score is reported on a 130–170 score scale, in 1-point increments

• Analytical Writing score is reported on a 0–6 score scale, in half-point increments

A No Score (NS) will be reported on any section that is not answered at all.

For both the Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning measures, the scores reported are based
on the number of correct responses to all the questions in all the sections except for the "unscored
and unidentified section" and the "identified research section."

Within each of the Verbal Reasoning or Quantitative Reasoning sections, all questions contribute
equally to the final score. For each of the two measures, a raw score is computed. The raw score is
the number of questions one answered correctly. The raw score is converted to a scaled score
through a process known as equating.

For the Analytical Writing section, each essay is scored at at least two levels:

One, a human trained reader scores the essay using a six-point holistic scale.

Two, a computerized program, e-rater®, developed by ETS is used to monitor the human reader.

If the e-rater evaluation and the human score agree, the human score is used as the final score. If
they disagree by a certain amount, a second human score is obtained, and the final score is the
average of the two human scores. The average of the final scores on the two essays are taken and
rounded to the nearest half-point interval on the 0–6 score scale.

GRE®Test for MBA

The following business schools accept GRE®Test revised General Test scores for admissions to their
MBA programs in India:
• Aegis School of Business
• Aryans Business School
• Amrita School of Business Amritapuri
• Amrita School of Business Bengaluru
• Amrita School of Business Coimbatore
• Amrita School of Business Kochi
• Asia Graduate School of Business
• Global School of Management
• International School of Management Excellence
• JECRC University
• Lovely Professional University &
• MBA
• Peoples Education Society Universal Business School
• Varanasi College of Management Science

A complete list of the graduate and business school programs around the world that accept
GRE®Test scores can be accessed at www.ets.org/gre/programs. To view only the list of business
schools that accept GRE®Test scores for MBA admissions, visit www.ets.org/gre/mba/programs

Comparative Analysis of GRE®Test and GMAT® Exam

The information below will be useful to a student who is contemplating on the right choice of exam
(GRE®Test or GRE®Exam) to be taken.

The GRE®Test and the GMAT® Exam assess the potential of candidates interested in applying to
various graduate programs (Masters and Doctoral). The GRE®Test Test score is used by
Universities/colleges for admission to their Masters and Doctoral programmes. A candidate
interested in pursuing management education abroad or in premier Indian business-schools takes
the GMAT. However, some business-schools have started accepting the GRE®Test Test scores for
their MBA programs also (GRE®Test for Business Schools)
• GRE®Test score is accepted by thousands of graduate and business schools across the globe
(http://www.ets.org/s/gre/pdf/gre_aidi_fellowships.pdf)

• GMAT®Exam score is accepted by more than 5800 programs at more than 1600 b-schools and
universities across the globe (http://www.mba.com/schools-and-programs/programs-that-
accept-the-gmat.aspx), including 80 b-schools in India.

• While the GMAT®Exam has traditionally been used by b-schools as part of their admissions
process, GRE®Test scores are also being accepted by some of the b-schools for their MBA
programs (http://www.ets.org/gre/revised_general/about/mba/programs/).

GRE®Test Test vs GMAT®Exam : The skills tested on the three tests are those that the
candidate has developed over a period of time – especially skills developed during high
school education. Hence, the skills tested on both the tests are by far the same, but the
depth of understanding of concepts and the manner in which the concepts are tested
varies from one test to the other.

Writing: Both the GRE®Test and the GMAT®Exam have an Analytical Writing (AW)
section. The GMAT® has one writing task while the GRE®Test has two writing tasks.
Verbal Ability/Reasoning:

Critical Reasoning: In the GMAT®, about 30% of questions in the Verbal Ability section
are a test of Critical Reasoning. In the GRE®Test, Critical Reasoning is tested (though not
titled as such) and toned-down when compared to the GMAT®Exam Critical Reasoning.

Sentence Correction: Sentence Correction questions in the GMAT®Exam test the

student on grammar and usage skills. In the GMAT®Exam, the emphasis is not only on
the functional aspects of grammar, but also on contextual meaning, effective writing and
usage. There are specific error types that are looked at in the GMAT®Exam. The
GRE®Test does not have Sentence Correction question types.

Reading Comprehension: Reading Comprehension passages and testing points in the

GRE®Test and the GMAT®Exam are somewhat similar. The GRE® Reading
Comprehension question types are different. The candidate may be asked to select on-
screen a text in the passage that answers a particular question.

Vocabulary: The GMAT®Exam does not test vocabulary. The GRE®Test though
vocabulary-intensive, does not test out-of-context vocabulary. Certain GRE®Test
question types require candidates to select words that fit into a respective blank in a text
and other question types require candidates to select multiple answer choices for a
blank.

Quantitative Ability/Reasoning and Data Interpretation/Integrated Reasoning

The GMAT®Exam requires the candidate to select only one answer for a question,
GRE®Test requires the candidate to select multiple answers or type-in an answer in
certain question types.

While both the tests have questions on Data Interpretation, GMAT® has a section called
Integrated Reasoning. The GRE tests the candidate's ability to interpret data
quantitatively, GMAT®Exam in its Integrated Reasoning section also tests the candidate's
ability to interpret data qualitatively. The GMAT®Exam also has four different question
types in the Integrated Reasoning section.

GRE®Test is a section adaptive test - the level of difficulty of one section depends on the
overall performance of the candidate in the corresponding previous section.

GMAT®Exam is an adaptive test - in an adaptive test like the GMAT®Exam, the candidate
must answer every question that comes on the screen to get to the next question,
whose level of difficulty depends on whether the candidate marked the previous question
correctly. In the GMAT®Exam, the candidate will not be allowed to skip a question or to
go back to an already submitted question. This makes time management in GMAT®Exam
quite tricky.
The table below charts the differences between the two tests.

Interrogative GRE®Test GMAT®Exam

What is it? Graduate Record Examination
Who conducts it? Educational Testing Service
When is it held? Round the year
(6 days of the week except on
Sundays and national holidays)
How do I take the Register online at
test? www.ets.org/gre
What is the cost of $195.00
the test?
How many sections Five (after Section 1, not
does the test have? necessarily in the order below)
1) Analytical Writing
Graduate Management
Admission Test
Graduate Management
Admission Council
Round the year
(6 days of the week except on
Sundays and national holidays)
Register online at
www.mba.com
$250.00
Four (in the order below)
Analytical Writing
 2) Quantitative Reasoning (2
sections)
3) Verbal Reasoning (2
sections)
PLUS
1 Unscored section and/or
Research section (Quantitative
or Verbal)
How many Section 1: Two tasks – Analysis
questions? of an Issue; Analysis of an
Argument
Quantitative 1: 20
Quantitative 2: 20
Verbal 1: 20
Verbal 2: 20
What is the pattern Computer Based Test (Section-
of the test? Adaptive)
What is the duration 3 hours 45 minutes
of the test?
Are the sections Yes
timed separately? 30 minutes for each task of
section (1);
30 minutes for each section of
Verbal Reasoning;
35 minutes for each section of
Quantitative Reasoning
Can I navigate with a Yes
section?
Can I navigate No
between two
sections?
What is the Score range: 260 to 340 for
maximum the Quantitative and Verbal
score/score range? sections;
Score range: 1 to 6 for the
Analytical Writing section
Do all questions carry Yes
equal points? All questions within a section,
irrespective of the level of
difficulty, carry equal points
Can I view my score Yes;
immediately after the Score for the Quantitative
test? Reasoning and Verbal
Reasoning (out of a maximum
of 170 each)will be displayed
immediately after the test.
How long does it take Official scores will be available
before I get my online after approximately 10-
scores? 15 days from the date of taking
the test
How long is the score 5 years
valid?
How many times can A maximum of 5 times a year;
I write the test? once every 30 days
Which
universities/schools http://www.ets.org/s/gre/
accept the score? pdf/gre_aidi_fellowships.pdf
Integrated Reasoning
Quantitative Ability
Verbal Ability
Section 1: One task – Analysis
of an Argument
Section 2: 12
Section 3: 37
Section 4: 41
Computer Adaptive Test
(Question-Adaptive for
Quantitative and Verbal
sections)
3 hours 30 minutes
Yes
30 minutes each for section (1)
and section (2);
75 minutes each for section (3)
and (4)
No
No
Score range: 200 to 800 for the
Quant and Verbal sections;
Score range: 1 to 6 for the
Analytical Writing section;
Score range: 1-8 for the
Integrated Reasoning
No
Adaptive logic implies tougher
questions carry more points and
easier questions carry fewer
points
Yes;
Score for the Quantitative Ability
and Verbal Ability (out of a
maximum of 800)will be
displayed immediately after the
test.
Official score card will be
available online after 20 days
from the date of taking the test
5 years
A maximum of 5 times a year;
once a calendar month
http://www.mba.com/schools-
and-programs/programs-that-

What programs can I Masters
apply to? MBA
MS Finance
MFE (Master of Financial
Engineering)
MEM (Master of Engineering
Management)
Where can I apply Programs across the globe
with my score?
What is the GRE score
admission process? Application to graduate schools
Admission
What documentation Application
would I need? GRE, TOEFL scores
Statement of Purpose
Letters of Recommendation
Educational Transcripts
Financial Documentation
accept-the-gmat.aspx
PGPM
MBA
MIM (Master in Management)
E-MBA
MS Finance
MFE (Master of Financial
Engineering)
B-schools/programs across the
globe
GMAT score
Application to B-schools
Interview (for top B-schools)
Admission
Application
GMAT score (TOEFL score, if
required by the school)
Statement of Purpose +
Application Essays
Resume
Letters of Recommendation
Educational Transcripts
Financial Documentation
Work experience certificate
Proof of extra-curricular
activities